Coal-cutting machine



W. M. THOMAS.

COAL CUTTING MACHiNE.

,APPLICATION FILED MAY H 1917.

W. M. T

COAL CUTHNG MACHlNE..

APPLICATION FILED MAY ll. I917.

HQMAS.

W..M. THOMAS.

COAL CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY II. 1917.

- m1 j, 4 @M o m. 2 ,W/ 7W 7- 41 7 7 m w ourrso STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM IVE. terror/res, on NEW Yon-K, n. Y., vassnsNon on FIFTY AND ONE-HALF PER CENT. 'ro FRANK OBERKIRCH, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

COAL-CUTTING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J an 11 1921 Original application filed July 14, 1915, SeriaI No. 39,760. Divided and this application. filed May 11,

' 1917. Serial No. 167,857.

To all whom mag 0011069 91: r

Be itknown that LWILLIAM M. Tnioims, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, county of New York, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCoal-Cutting Machines, fully described and represented inv the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to improvements in coal-cutting apparatus. j

The present application constitutesa division of my application Serial No. 39,760, filed July 14, 1915, Patent No. 1,226,412, granted May 15, 1917, and relates to certain features of the machine described but not claimed in the application referred to.

The invention forming the subject-matter of the present application comprises the features, details of construction and combination of parts, which will first be described in connection withthe accompanying drawings and then particularly pointed out. I

In the drawings 5 Figure 1 is aside elevation partl'yin section of a mining machine embodying the present invention; J M

F ig. l is a detail View of tl'ierockenand cam; 1 I i Fig. 2 is a plan of the apparatusshown in Fig: 1;

F ig. 3 is a rear elevation partly in section;

Fig. i is a transverse sectionp'artly in elevation, on the line l, Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a'plan v-iew ,ofa cutter chain interchanging device,and

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional View on the line Referring to the drawings, A is anfopen frame constituting a track for an endless cutting chain which is provided with cutters projecting. outward *from the frame and also having cutters proj ectinnj' upward.

Tlieframe is so mounted that its front end and then the frame may be moved-in a generally upward direct1on,- that 1S to say in a direction from the floor toward the roof "of the room or entry, whereby the cutters which project upward from the framevwill out a kerf in an upward direction, this herf to time.

- the cutting sections of theframe.

ter it.

The open frame is so constructed that it will surround the downward hanging mass of coal, which can be broken loose from time In the particular construction of mining machine illustrated, the open cutter-frame narrows toward the rear and is provided with suitable trunnions on which it may be swung angularly about a generally horizontal axis. 1

As shown, the frame consists of a hollow rear portion 1 having trunnions at each end, as indicated at 2. To this rear portion 1 are connected two sloping side portions 3 each of which is advantageously tubular and pro vided with a track portion which carries the chain. This track portion has a generally Lshaped cross-section, the horizontal leg projecting outward. Each leg is provided with a rib projecting at right angles to the leg, As shown, 4 is the vertical leg,f6 the rib on the vertical leg, and 7 the rib on the zontal refer to their positions when the frame A is lifted toa horizontaliplane.

The track portion of the frame is extended beyond the tubular portions to form present example, this comprises two side .por-

side portions meet are curved suitably as indicated in Fig. 2. I

The cutting chain indicated generally at B, Fig. 1, is of the type, illustrated and de scribed in my said application Serial No. 89,760.

At the rear end of the frame means are provided for driving the chain. Inthe mining machine illustrated, the chain passes around two sprocket wheels, indicated at 20 I and 21, these being mounted on shafts 22 carried in suitable journals 23, Fig. 4, carried. by the rear portion or axle 1 of the frame. Each shaft pro3ects below its gournal and is furnished with a gear wheel 24,

In the v these gear wheels meshing with a gear pinion fixed on the shaft 26 of a motor 27 whose casing; is secured to the axis or rear portion ,1 of the frame inany suitable way, as for example, by providing the journals 23 with arms 28 to which the motor casing. is bolted.

It will be seen that in this construction the motor and the gearing for driving the chain swing with the frame and chain.

The trunnions 2 of the 'open frame are mounted in journal stands carried by sills 31 extending in a longitudinal direction, these sills being connected at suitable intervals by cross-braces 32, one of which is shown in Fig. 3. The sills and braces constitute a base for the apparatus.

Suit-able means are provided for moving the machine base, and with it the cutting apparatus, in a forward direction, whereby the cutting apparatus may be fed forward to the coal during the time it is cutting the horizontal kerf. In addition, means are provided for moving the machine backward, so that it may be withdrawn at any time from the face of the coal. In the specific construction illustrated, the means for moving the machine forward and backward is duplex, that is to say, is in two sets, one set at each side of the central longitudinal axis of the machine, so that by putting one set in operation to move its side of the machine forward and the other set to move its side of the machine backward, the machine be caused to turn in the corresponding direction.

In the mining machine illustrated, the moving means comprise shoes at each side of the machine base, mechanism for first lifting the base so that its weight will rest on the shoes and then moving the base either forward or backward according to the setting of the mechanism, then lowering the base, then lifting the shoes and moving. them in the proper ClllECtlOIL either forward or backward and then lowering the shoes, after which the action above described is repeated.

As the two sets of apparatus for moving the machine are alike, it will be'necessaryto describe only one.

Referring to Fig. 1, a shoe 33 is shown outside its corresponding machine sill, this shoe having two long slots. The sill is provided with two outwardly projecting studs 34, each of which extends through its respective slot in the shoe. @n each stud is mounted a rocker or double bell-crank, bifurcated to straddle the shoe, as indicated at 35, Figs. 1 and 3.

The upper ends of the pairs of rockers are suitably connected to a piston rod 36, which extends through and projects from each end of a cylinder 37 suitably secured to the shoe, as, for example, by bolts 38, Fig. 1. The piston rod is provided with a piston as indicated at 39, Fig. 1, and any suitable means is provided for supplying each end of the 1 cylinder with fluid under pressure. For the purpose of illustration, I have shown a pipe 40, leading from a suitable source of fluid under pressure, this pipe being connected to each end of its respective cylinder by branches provided with valves 41. The valves are illustrated as three-way cocks arranged to discharge through suitable outlets, as, for example, the outlet branches indicated at 42. By suitable manipulation of the valves 41 the piston and with it the piston :rod can be forced longitudinally in either direction.

Each rocker is provided with means for engaging the inner walls of the shoe. In the present example, this means comprises a pair of cam blocks, one serving for use during the forward movement of the machine, and the other for use during the backward movement of the machine. Each cam block is arranged so that it may be thrown into and out of action.

In the present example, the cam blocks which act during the forward movement of the machine are indicated at 43' and those which act during thebackward movement of the machine are indicated at 44. Each cam block is fixed on a shaft journaled in the bifurcated portion of its rocker, as shown in Fig. 3, each shaft projecting outside its rocker and carrying a crank arm, one of which, 45, is extended to form a hand lever to which the other crank arms 46, 47 and 48 are connected by links 49, 50 and 51, so that by swinging the hand lever 45, all the cam blocks will be rotated.

The cam blocks 43 are fixed in their shafts so that they will be at right angles relatively to the other pair of cam blocks 44. Hence, when the hand lever 45 is pushed forward, the cam blocks 43 will be swung to a generally horizontal position, while the cam blocks 44 will be swung to a generally vertical position, as shown in Figsl. In this condition when the rocker is swung, the upper.

and lower surfaces of the cam blocks 44 may engage the upper and lower walls of the slots in the shoes while the cam blocks 43 cannot engage the shoe, but are out of action. When the hand lever 45 is swung backward, the position of the cam blocks is reversed, that is to say the cam blocks 44 are put in a generally horizontal position and are out of action, while the cam blocks 43 are moved into a generally vertical position and are ready for action.

The operation of this moving mechanism is as follows:

Assuming that the hand lever 45 is swung backward, the cam blocks 43 are thereby brought into operative position, while the 1 cam blocks 44 are swung out of action. If

now the piston be at the forward end of the their respective slots and lift the shoe clear -of the ground. There is suflicient play in the points of connection of the piston rod and rocker arms to permit this upward movement of the shoe and its attached cylinder. As the machine base is-now on the ground, the piston rod is held against further movement relative to the ground. Theis'to move the piston forward, thus swinging the rockers so that the bottom faces of the cam blocks 43 contact with the. bottom walls of the slots in the shoe. These points of contact become fulcrums, so thatthe con tinued forward movement of the piston and its consequent swinging of the rockers lifts the machine base. This throws the whole load of the apparatus on the shoes, and as the friction of these against the ground is .far greater than that between the bottom faces of the cam blocks 43 and the bottom walls of the slots, the said walls act as a track along which the machine may be pulled by the forward movement of the piston. WVhen the machine has been carried forward to an extent equal to the stroke of the piston, the fluid pressure is reversed in the cylinder. The first effect of this action is to move the rockers in a direction to lower the machine base and then lift the shoes, whereupon the load of the machine is carried by the base directly to the ground. Therefore, as before described, the cylinders are moved forward carrying the shoes with them to a new position. By repeating the operations above described the machine will continue to move forward.

It is obvious that if the hand lever L5 be swung in the opposite direction the cam blocks 43 will be swung out of action while the cam blocks 44 will be put into position for operation. Thereafter by suitably supplying fluid pressure to first one end of the cylinder and then the other, the machine will be moved backward in an obvious manner.

If the cam blocks 43 at the left sideof the machine be put in position for operation, while at the right side the cam blocks 44: are in operative position, the machine may be advanced on the left side and withdrawn on the right side, so that the machine will turn around in a right handed direction. By a reversal of the cam blocks the machine may becaused to rotate in a left handed direction. If the moving apparatus at one side be actuated while that at the other side is in operative the machine may becaused to move on an are either forward or backward, ac-

cording to the direction of movement of one side caused by the moving apparatus then in operation.

Suitable'means is provided for swinging the cutting mechanism about its trunnions in an up and down direction. In the present example the open frame is provided with upward extending posts 52 whose upper ends are flanged outward to form lugs, indicated at 53. The sills of the machine are provided with outward extending stepblocks 54;, and between each step-block and the corresponding lug 53 over it is mounted a hydraulic rain device comprising a cylinder 55 and a plunger 56, the bottom of the cylinder being pivoted or hinged to the corresponding step-hlock 54 while the upper end of the plunger is pivoted or hinged to the corresponding lug 53.

Suitable means is provided for admitting fluid pressure to and exhausting it from the lower end of each cylinder. In the present example the lower end of the cylinder is provided with an inlet pipe 57 controlled by a valve 58 and with an outlet pipe 59 controlled by a valve 60.

For the purpose of adjustably limiting the downward movement of the swinging cutting mechanism, a suitable adjustable stop device may be provided. In the present example, the lower faces of the side members of the open frame are provided with stop-blocks 61 having inclined abutment faces, and on the machine support are mounted adjustable devices for engagement with these abutment faces. In the present construction each sill is provided with a stationary nut, as indicated at 62. Through each nut passes the threaded portion of a long rod 63 extending to the rear of the machine when it is guided in an opening in the respective journal stand, as shown in Fig. 2. The rear end, back of such journal stand, is threaded to receive a check or look nut 64 and has its projecting end squared to receive a wrench. The frpnt end of the rod 62 is made conical, as indicated at (35, Fig. l. The conical head of each rod engages its respective stop -block 61. By gradually screwing the rods 63 forward as the machine is undercutting the coal, the cut or kerf may be made to slope upward. By gradually screwing the rods 63 backward during the undercutting the kerf may be made to slope downward. By this means it becomes possible to let the machine follow the dip or inclination of a coal seam while it is undercutting its way into the coal.

With the app aratius hereinbefore described it is possible to undercut the coal and then back-cut it, that is to say, out a face body loose from the seam so that a depending pillar of coal is left hanging from above, this pillar having substantially the same stratification as the body of coal from which it has been severed. The height of this depending pillar is determined by the height to which the back-cutting has been done.

The pillar is readily broken loose for removal from the mine in any suitable way. Since its stratification is t'ansverse to the height of the pillar, that is to say generally horizontal, a suitable pick de ice working in the direction of the stratification will readily sever the pillar transversely to its height.

T may provide the swinging frame with suitable means for thus severing the pillar. In the present example, I have shown an apparatus comprising a pick head 66 advantageously provided with a plurality of points. this head being formed on the front end of a solenoid plunger 67, capable of being reciprocated in a solenoid coil 68 to which current may be supplied from any suitable source. The solenoid is fixed to a sliding carriage 39 arranged to slide along a track 70 secured at each end to the open frame and extending transversely thereto. This track is generally parallel to the face of the coal.

For convenience of operation the carriage is provided with eyes 71 to each of which is connected a wire cable or rope 72 each rope passing around a pulley 73 and leading rearward to any convenient point. By pulling one rope and letting out the other the carriage and with it the pick device may be traversed across the coal face. By supplying a suitable current to the solenoid coil the plunger will be reciprocatcd in a well known way and the pick points will be caused to pick the coal in the general direction of its stratification.

The pillar of coal will break easily along the plane of its strata when picked and will drop down. Tn practice the back-cutting is not carried entirely to the roof of the entry or drift as the large depending pillar thus formed would be difiicult to handle. Uusually the back-cutting is carried upward to a point where the depending pillar is of manageable size. Then the pick device is operated to break off the desired portion, and the latter is removed. The back-cutting is then carried farther until another suitable depending pillar is formed, whereupon this is picked loose and removed.

While the machine as thus far described will have many advantages over machines heretofore known, I prefer to combine with this cutting machine a mechanism for moving the coal as soon as it has been separated.

Furthermore, this removing mechanism is arranged to follow up the cutting mechanism at any desired interval below the cutters so that when the coal is picked loose it will not drop very far and hence will not be seriously shattered.

The coal or mineral removing mechanism constituting the subject-matter of the pres ent application consists of a conveying mech-,

.apron with side walls and endless conveyer mechanism traveling over the apron from the front end of the apron toward its rear end, the apron with its side walls being so shaped that it may occupy the open space inclosed by the open frame of the coal cutting mechanism. This conveying mechanism is mounted so that the front end of the apron may be moved up and down.

In the example illustrated the conveying mechanism is angularly movable about a transverse axis near the rear of the machine.

Referring more specifically to the details of construction of the example shown in the drawings, 7 5 indicates an apron whose outline conforms generally to the outline of the open frame, as will be clear from Fig. 2. That is, the apron is wide at the front end and narrows toward the rear in order that coal collected across substantially the entire front of the machine may be brought to a central point at the rear of the machine so as to be discharged readily into cars.

The rear portion of the apron is advantageously extended beyond the cutting mech anism, as shown in Fig. 2, and this portion may be rectangular in plan. An important feature of the invention consists in making the apron generally trough-shaped at its intermediate portion, that is, the apron is concave on its upper surface along its intermediate portion.

The curvature of the concave portion is greatest about where the narrowed end of the intermediate portion joins the rectangular rear portion, this concavity transversely of the apron being illustrated in Fig. 4:. From this cross-section the concavity flattens out toward the front and the rear ends so that most advantageously the front end of the apron is a flat surface. Also the rear end of the apron may be a flat surface. The upper face of the apron is advantageously provided with a plurality of grooves 77 to form guiding means for guiding a plurality of endless chains 78, Fig. 2.

If desired the lower face of the apron may be correspondingly grooved, as will be clear from Figs. 1 and 4. i

The apron is provided with side walls, as indicated at 79.

At the rear end of the apron is arranged a chain drum 8O journaled in hangers carried by the side walls.

The upper surface of the drum may be tangential to the upper surface of the rear end of the apron.

Theendless chains pass around the drum,

thence forward under the apron, then up rear of the machine and discharged over the top of the drum. Owing to the concavity of the intermediate portion of the apron those chains at each side of the central chain, which, as shown in Fig. 1, travel in a plane which is inclined to the vertical, and hence will be prevented from jumping out of the guiding channels.

Any suitable means for driving the chain drum 80 may be employed. In the drawings, I have shown one journal of the drum provided with a worm wheel 81 engaged by a worm 82 on the shaft of an electric motor 83 which is secured to one of the side walls of the apron.

In order to mount the apron so that it can be given an angular movement up and down it is provided with curved saddles 84;, Figs. 1 and 2, which rest on the curved surface of the hollow rear portion 1 of the cutting mechanism. The curvature of the saddles and the surfaces which support them may be concentric with the axis of the trunnions of the coal cutting mechanism. To hold the saddles against accidental displacement, suitable curved caps, 85, may be placed outside them, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3, these caps being bolted to the journal stands 30 of the cutting mechanism.

In order that the conveying mechanism may be swung upward and downward with the coal cutting mechanism after the latter has passed above a certain height, any suitable mechanism for causing the open frame to move the apron may be employed. In the present example the side walls of-the apron are provided with outwardly extending lugs 86 which project over the open frame. Each lug is provided with an adjustable means for contacting with the open frame, as for example, the set screws 87, Figs. 1 and 2, each of which is threaded through the corre sponding lug and may be provided with a lock nut, as shown.

When the coal cutting mechanism is down to its lowest position, the front end of the apron rests upon the floor, this end beingsuitably shaped for this purpose, as will be clear from Fig. 1. From the flat front end the apron rises to a point where its rear end.

is higher than the usual mine car.

As the cutters undercut the coal, the latter falls to the apron and will be withdrawn from the undercutting by the rearward movement of the chains along the upper face of the apron.

When the undercutting has been completed, the cutting mechanism is swung upward gradually by fluid pressure in the ram cylinders 55, so that the cutters at the top of the chain cut a back kerf with the corresponding side kerfs so as to isolate a depending pillar of coal from the coal mass. The chains in the apron carry off this coal.

When the cutting mechanism has been swung upward until its open frame contacts with the adjustable set screws 87 the cutting chain may be stopped and the pick device brought into operation to break loose the depending pillar of coal. This drops onto the front end of the apron, and is removed by the chains, which carry the coal up the incline and deposit it in the car.

It will be noted that the mass of coal which drops to the apron has only a short distance to fall and hence does not injure the apron. This distance may be varied by adjusting the set screws 87.

As soon as the chains have removed the coal, the cutting chains are again started in operation and the open frame is swung upward farther thus containing the back cutting and isolating another depending pillar of coal. But as at the commencement of this back-cutting operation the open frame was in contact with the set screws 87, the upward movement of the cutting mechanism causes the conveying mecha nism also to swing upward, following the cutting mechanism and below it.

The distance between the front end of the open frame and the front end of the apron below it, is also determined by the set screws 87 and is so limited that when, after further back-cutting, the depending pillar of coal is broken off by the pick device, the coal will not fall far enough to injure the apron.

It is an important advantage of the construction illustrated that the machine is so constructed as first to under cutin the coal body itself, and then back-cut as well as side-cut the coal in a direction substantially transverse to the strata of the isolated depending pillar thus formed, because in this way a selective mining of coal is possible.

That is to say, the back-cutting mechanism can be stopped at any height where the quality of the coal changes, orwhere it reaches an intervening strata of shale, clay or the like. The depending pillar may be broken off by the pick device and removed by the conveyer to a mine car. Then the back-cutting of the poorer coal, shale or clay may he proceeded with and this may be picked loose and removed by the conveyer separately from the coal and may be discharged either to a separate car or, in the case of slate or clay, .may be deflected by a chute or board to the side of the mine tracks. So far as I am aware, no machine heretofore employed has permitted this selective mining of coal.

A further important advantage is that as the coal can be readily picked loose along its cleavage planes, no necessity exists for blasting and therefore the coal is not shattered, but is solid and can be mined in large lumps so that it can be shipped long dis-- tances and still will reach its destination in the condition of high grade coal, instead of in the form of low priced slack, as occurs with shattered blocks of coal mined with explosives.

An important feature of the coal cutting machine illustrated is that instead of removing and replacing the cutters one by one from the chain while the latter is in the machine, as, for example, for sharpening the cutters, I may readily uncouple and withdraw the chain with its attached cutters, insert another chain with cutters, couple the same and allow the machine to proceed with its operation. As it requires considerable time to remove and replace the cutters in a cutting chain, if this be done with the chain in the machine, the idleness of the latter would constitute-a great loss.

In the machine illustrated in the drawing, the chain is removed by uncoupling the chain at a point within the hollow rear portion 1 intermediate the two sprocket wheels, where all the slack of the chain exists.

The substitute chain may have one end coupled to the right hand end of the uncoupled chain to be replaced while the other end of the substitute chain is connected to the left hand end of the chain.

The sprocket wheels may now be slowly rotated, whereby the substitute chain will be drawn into place in the tracks of the open frame and the old chain will be pulled out of the machine. Thereupon the ends of the substitute chain may be coupled together and the machine is ready for use.

For the purpose of enabling this operation to be performed quickly and conveniently, I provide an extension piece QO which has a chain track in each side of it, as shown in Fig. 6. The front ends of'these tracks diverge to the left and right respectively as shown in Fig. 5, and are arranged to enter the opening in the rear wall. of the hollow rear portion 1 of the cutting machine.

The rear end of the extension piece is provided with a chain wheel 91 around which the chain may turn.

Suitable means is provided for detachably connecting the extension piece to the rear of the machine. In the example shown the rear of the machine has a bracket 92 on which the front portion of the extension piece may rest and to which it may be secured by screws.

The rear end of the extension piece may be suitably supported. For example, it may rest on the floor of the mine, in which case the open frame is swung up to a position where its tracks are in one inclined plane with the tracks of the extension piece or the extension piece may be brought up into place and supported on a car whose height is suitable, in which case the open frame may be brought to about a horizontal position.

When it is desired to substitute one chain for another the extension piece is provided with the substitute chain which is fed into place by hand until the two ends of the sub stitute chain project from the front end of the extension piece.

Then the old chain is uncoupled, the ends thereof coupled to the corresponding ends of the substitute chain and the sprocket wheels 21 slowly rotated. In this way the old chain is drawn out onto the tracks of the e.:tension piece and the substitute chain is drawn into the tracks of the open frame.

The ends of the old chain will now be pro jecting from the front ends of the extension piece. They are uncoupled and the extension piece with the old chain is removed from the machine. The ends of the substitute chains are coupled together and the machine is ready for operation. The old chain may be repaired at leisure and replaced in the extension piece ready for the next substitution.

IVhat is claimed is:

1. In a mining machine, the combination with a machine base, and shoes arranged one at each side of the center of the base, of a rocker for each shoe, each rocker being piv oted to the machine base, a shoe engaging block carried by each rocker and arranged to engage the corresponding shoe, and means for oscillating the rockers.

2. In a mining machine, the combination, with a machine base, and shoes arranged one at each side of the center of the base, of a cylinder connected to each shoe, a piston and piston rod for each cylinder, a rocker con nected to each piston rod, each rocker being pivoted tothe machine base, and a shoe engaging block carried by each rocker and arranged to engage the corresponding shoe.

3. In a mining machine, the combination, with. a machine base, and shoes arranged. one at each side of the center of the bZlSG,Of a cylinder connected to each shoe, a piston and piston rod for each cylinder, a rocker connected to each piston rod, each rocker being pivoted tothe machine base, a pair of cam blocks carried by each rocker for engaging the corresponding shoe, and means for shift ing the cam blocks whereby when one is in position to engage its'shoe, the other is out of action.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM M. THOMAS. 

